Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

What is Robotic Process Automation?

Advantages of robotic process automation

Areas of application and use cases

Introduction of robotic process automation - how to proceed

EMMA - your RPA solution with cognitive AI

Conclusion

Robotic process automation refers to an approach to process automation in which manual activities are imitated and automated by software programmes - so-called software robots or "bots". These act on the user interface of applications just like a human: they click buttons, enter data, read information and follow clearly defined rules. In other words, the RPA solution takes over monotonous routine processes that were previously carried out by computerised employees and executes them faster, more error-free and around the clock.

A typical RPA solution makes it possible, for example, to extract data from an inbox, transfer it to a form, perform calculations or connect several IT systems without the need for manual input. Modern RPA tools usually offer graphical interfaces in which processes can be defined using drag-and-drop. Accordingly, RPA is considered a non-invasive technology: the existing IT systems do not need to be adapted as the services work on the interface like a human user. This means that automation can often be implemented very quickly without having to intervene in the depths of the IT infrastructure.

A key feature of robotic process automation is the predictability of the results and the deterministic behaviour of automated processes, as RPA is based on previously defined and structured rules that are precisely specified. Each step is explicitly defined, making the result reproducible and always identical.

In contrast, artificial intelligence such as the AI agent AIMAX^® and machine learning operate with stochastic methods that are based on analysing large amounts of data. These methods make it possible to recognise patterns and adapt to changes, which leads to results that are not always completely predictable.

While RPA is therefore ideal for standardised tasks that require maximum consistency, AI and machine learning offer the flexibility to support complex decision-making processes by learning and dynamically adjusting their strategies - an approach that requires more creativity and adaptability, but is also less deterministic.

Two main types of automation have become established in practice: Attended RPA and unattended RPA. Attended RPA bots support skilled workers directly at the workplace. They are started by the user when required or initiated by certain triggers and then complete subtasks while the colleague can continue working in parallel. This model is often used in customer service or help desks, where the bot retrieves customer data in the background while the service employee talks to the customer, for example.

Unattended RPA robots, on the other hand, run completely autonomously in the background. Once triggered, they complete their process without further human intervention, based on predefined rules, schedules or events. Such tools are primarily used for back-office processes - such as nightly data synchronisation, mass data processing or reports - and can run 24/7 without a break. Many take a hybrid approach, combining both attended and unattended RPA to cover end-to-end processes.

RPA is not just a technology. Its use usually triggers a complete change in the company. As automation increases, this change spreads to more and more areas and drives up overall productivity.

Below is an overview of the most important advantages of RPA:

One of the most tangible benefits of RPA is the reduction in process costs. Automated software robots can carry out tasks much faster than a human, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This drastically reduces processing times, and significantly more processes can be completed in less time. Decision-makers report considerable productivity gains: Routine processes that used to take hours or days are reduced to minutes or even seconds thanks to RPA. The scalability also makes it possible to simply deploy additional virtual assistants when the workload increases, instead of having to plan for expensive overtime or new hires. All of this leads to noticeable time and cost savings.

In addition to the pure increase in speed, RPA also contributes indirectly to efficiency by freeing human specialists from monotonous tasks. Specialists can use their working time more productively for value-adding activities instead of performing repetitive data entry. This increases capacity utilisation in demanding task areas without routine tasks being left undone - a double efficiency gain.

Where people routinely type in data or manually transfer information from one system to another, errors can hardly be avoided. Typing errors, transposed numbers or forgetting process steps repeatedly lead to quality problems in day-to-day work. RPA robots, on the other hand, carry out the defined steps in exactly the same way every time. They adhere strictly to predefined rules and do not make any careless mistakes. This reduces the error rate in automated processes to almost zero, which significantly increases process quality.

The automatic logging of all bot activities also ensures transparency and traceability. If a deviation does occur, the detailed log shows exactly what happened. Overall, RPA contributes to more consistent results and higher quality. This has an impact in financial accounting, for example, in the form of error-free reports, or in order processing through correctly and completely executed orders - without human error.

RPA makes it easier than ever before to automate business processes on a large scale and expand them at short notice if required. While hiring and training new colleagues is time-consuming and cost-intensive, digital robots can be quickly "scaled up" in large numbers. If, for example, there is a higher volume of orders or enquiries at the end of a quarter, the number of bot instances running in parallel can be flexibly increased to absorb peak loads. Once the work has been completed, these virtual capacities can be reduced again just as quickly - without any social repercussions.

This flexibility also extends to the adaptability of processes: Changes to processes can be made centrally in the RPA workflow and rolled out to all bots immediately. This allows decision-makers to react agilely to new requirements.

RPA also offers advantages in terms of IT security and compliance. Firstly, the access rights of RPA robots are managed in a targeted manner and are generally more restricted than human user accounts, which reduces the risk of unauthorised actions. Secondly, they work by the book: they carry out each individual process step exactly as defined, creating a seamless audit trail. For strictly regulated industries such as finance, healthcare or insurance, this traceability is worth its weight in gold - it allows them to prove compliance with legal requirements and internal guidelines.

RPA can also be used to specifically protect sensitive data. As RPA robots do not look at superfluous information (they only do what they are programmed to do), you can ensure that data protection guidelines are adhered to. By minimising human error - a common cause of security incidents - RPA also helps to reduce risk. In many cases, RPA is even used to eliminate manual intervention in particularly critical processes, which increases process reliability.

The RPA solution EMMA also offers the advantage of local installation and enables completely local operation. In contrast to the integration of a cloud service, it can therefore be operated in a completely isolated network or DMZ. This means that its use does not open a gateway for potential attackers.

RPA is an important enabler of digital transformation: by automating tedious routine tasks, your employees gain the freedom to focus more on strategic projects and innovation. By enabling RPA robots to handle day-to-day business - from data processing to report generation - teams can devote themselves to more challenging tasks that require human judgement and creativity. This not only boosts productivity, but also drives business development.

Many decision-makers report that RPA initiatives trigger a cultural change: The organisation becomes more data-driven and agile because processes can be adapted and improved more quickly. In addition, RPA accelerates the digital transformation as a whole, as it is often the first step towards further intelligent automation. In combination with artificial intelligence (keyword: intelligent automation), even more complex processes can be automated in the future and new efficiency potential can be realised. RPA therefore forms the basis on which you can systematically expand your added value with digital tools.

The influence of RPA on employee satisfaction should not be underestimated. When the monotonous "busywork" is eliminated, the motivation of the workforce increases. Colleagues experience their work as less monotonous and can turn their attention to tasks that provide more recognition and meaning. This improves job satisfaction and often also loyalty to the company. RPA thus becomes a digital team member who has their colleagues' backs.

Initially, there may be scepticism or reservations about the "robot colleagues". However, by involving staff in RPA projects at an early stage and communicating transparently, a positive effect can usually be achieved quickly: The team sees that the robots are helpers and not competitors. As a result, many companies report greater employee loyalty and a better working atmosphere when tedious routine tasks have been automated. Ultimately, everyone can concentrate more on the core tasks of their job - a benefit for people and the company alike.

RPA can be used across industries and functions. Software robots can provide valuable services wherever rule-based processes with a high level of manual effort are involved. Below are some typical areas of application and use cases in which RPA creates noticeable added value:

In the financial sector, RPA offers enormous potential for automating error-prone manual processes. Invoice processing is a classic example: incoming invoices can be automatically read from emails or scans, relevant information captured and transferred directly to the accounting system. This results in faster payment authorisations and fewer errors when entering data. Payment reconciliation (reconciliation of payments with open items) or report management can also be carried out in this way. A bot can consolidate account data at night, calculate totals and automatically create reports from different data sources (Salesforce, SAP, etc.) that are available to the finance team in the morning. In banks and insurance companies, RPA also speeds up processes such as customer identification (KYC) or claims processing by consolidating information from different systems and carrying out checks - always in compliance with all compliance requirements.

The HR department also benefits from RPA, as many HR processes are structured and recurring. One example of this is the onboarding of new colleagues: Here, user accounts can be created automatically, access rights assigned, forms for the personnel file completed and welcome emails sent. This significantly reduces the time it takes for a new employee to become fully operational. Payroll accounting can also be automated - bots collect variable salary data, record overtime and carry out calculations in the payroll systems, for example. Holiday requests or travel expense reports can also be pre-processed so that HR employees only need to intervene in the event of exceptions. Overall, this helps to speed up administrative tasks and ensure that no steps are forgotten, which contributes to consistent employee support.

Customer service is all about speed and reliability - both strengths of robotic process automation. Incoming customer enquiries, for example, are pre-selected and processed. One example is ticket processing in support: emails or web forms are read, processes are created in the CRM system and even initial responses are sent or forwarded to the relevant teams. Frequently asked questions can be answered automatically so that service employees have more time to deal with complex customer problems. In call centres, attended bots support agents by pulling together customer data from various systems during the customer call - the agent receives all relevant information on the screen within seconds instead of having to laboriously search for it themselves.

There are also use cases in sales and marketing. For example, a bot can automatically enter and qualify leads from web forms or trade fair contact lists in the CRM. Or it can regularly update price data and product information across various sales channels. Even quotations can be partially automated: RPA pulls together customer data and product prices so that the salesperson only has to check and send a finished quotation template. Such automation speeds up the sales pipeline and significantly reduces administrative effort.

Within the IT department and in general administrative processes, RPA becomes a kind of "lubricant" that connects different systems. One use case is user and authorisation management: if a colleague changes department or leaves the company, an RPA bot can automatically deactivate or adjust all relevant accesses (email, ERP, CRM, SAP, Microsoft Cloud, etc.). This saves IT support a lot of effort and increases security. IT service processes can also be automated, such as resetting passwords on request or monitoring system logs with automatic ticket creation in the event of error messages.

In general administration, bots can take over tasks such as data migration and synchronisation. For example, when switching systems - instead of manually transferring data records from old to new systems, a bot can provide assistance and take over this task. Document management also benefits: In combination with OCR technology, document content can be read and automatic filing structures or databases can be populated. This means that archives can be searched more quickly and information is available digitally without any gaps.

RPA is not only used in office processes, but also in production and logistics. In manufacturing companies, for example, parts lists or stock levels can be automatically synchronised between different systems. Incoming orders can be automatically recorded and booked in the ERP, while shipping labels are generated in parallel. This speeds up order processing and minimises errors in the supply chain. In logistics, an RPA robot can coordinate dispatch notifications, for example: As soon as a parcel has been dispatched, the bot retrieves the tracking number from the shipping service provider and proactively informs the customer of the delivery status.

There are also a variety of use cases in sectors such as healthcare, public administration and e-commerce. In the hospital environment, for example, RPA takes over appointment scheduling or updates patient data in various systems to reduce the workload for doctors. In e-commerce, bots automate product listings via various online marketplaces or publish blog posts on special promotions. In short, there is hardly an area in which there are no processes that can be accelerated, made more reliable or more cost-effective.

The implementation of RPA requires not only the right technology, but also organisational preparation and a structured approach. With the right partner at your side, many stumbling blocks can be avoided and quick results achieved.

The following steps have proven to be best practices for a successful introduction:

Analyse your business processes and find repetitive, rule-based processes with high volumes. This process is called process mining. Processes that involve many manual data transfers or standardised decisions are usually particularly suitable for a pilot application. Choose a manageable but effective use case for the start in order to be able to demonstrate quick successes.

Gain the support of management and the relevant departments at an early stage. Transparent communication is crucial here to allay fears. Explain to employees that the purpose of RPA is to reduce their workload and not to reduce jobs. If everyone involved is behind the project, the chances of success increase considerably.

The market offers several RPA platforms (including UiPath^®, Blue Prism^®, Automation Anywhere) with similar basic benefits. Evaluate these in terms of usability, range of functions, scalability and costs. Also pay attention to support and community. Choose the provider that best suits your requirements - for example, the RPA solution EMMA for example, emphasises ease of use even for non-programmers, high flexibility in the areas of application and 100% data security thanks to local installation.

To simplify this selection process, we offer you an RPA decision aid - based on a four-month test of the major players by the consulting firm Deloitte - one of the "Big Four" consulting firms.

If you want to use RPA in your company, don't try to improve everything at once. Instead, start with a clearly defined pilot process. Develop the workflow, test it carefully and then let it run for real. In particular, measure key performance indicators such as throughput time, error rate, manual effort, etc. and compare them with the previous status quo. This allows you to quantify the benefits of RPA. A successful pilot project serves as a reference and convinces other stakeholders.

After the pilot operation, gradually expand the automation. If necessary, establish a central centre of excellence (CoE) or guidelines to coordinate the development of further bots and define standards. Clear governance ensures that RPA bots are well maintained and that new requirements are implemented in a controlled manner. In addition, continuously monitor the performance of your bots using KPIs to uncover optimisation potential and keep an eye on the ROI of automation.

WIANCO OTT Robotics has developed EMMA a powerful solution that is specially tailored to the needs of companies. EMMA combines the advantages of modern RPA platforms with unique functions that set it apart from other market players. Here is an overview of why EMMA can be the optimal RPA platform for your company:

EMMA was designed to enable users without a programming background to create automations. The interface is intuitive and allows specialist departments to transfer their processes into automated workflows independently. For example, clerks in accounting or HR can become "citizen developers" themselves without having to call in IT specialists. This lowers the hurdles for the introduction of RPA enormously and speeds up implementation.

EMMA can be expanded with artificial intelligence on request to make automation even more flexible. The integrated cognitive AI also helps to recognise input masks even if the colour, shape or position of control elements change. This means that EMMA bots are much more robust than their competitors when it comes to changes in applications - a small relaunch of the software interface does not upset them. EMMA can also integrate AI components such as OCR (optical character recognition) to read and process unstructured data from documents. EMMA therefore covers not only simple, but also more demanding automation cases that go beyond rigid sets of rules.

WIANCO developed EMMA with the aim of making automation as economical as possible. The high success rate of the bots and the avoidance of error costs significantly reduce process costs. At the same time, EMMA also reduces the risks that would otherwise arise from manual intervention in IT systems. EMMA acts on the user interface without interfering with the code of your existing systems - so no accidental side effects are caused in core applications. For you, this means that RPA with EMMA can be introduced quickly without the need for complex IT projects, and it does not cause any nasty surprises in your current systems.

As a solution "made in Germany", EMMA is accompanied by comprehensive support. You not only receive the software, but also comprehensive advice on request - from the identification of automation potential to the implementation of specific bots in EMMA. It is important to us that our customers can fully utilise the benefits of RPA. That's why, in addition to the free initial consultation, we also offer you support with process analyses and implementation. And, of course, we are at your side during operation if you have any questions or requests for customisation (e.g. if processes change or need to be expanded). With us, you have a WIANCO partner at eye level who will support you with your automation strategy in the long term.